u/sgtdrkstar

Three years ago I created a benchmark comparing LaTeX build systems on an IEEE conference template using pdflatex, BibTeX + makeglossaries. I've now updated it with fresh numbers on TeXLive 2026.

What's new in 2026

• llmk — clean minimal config, but it placed last at 5.62 s, roughly double latexrun.

• max_combo — precompiled preamble + dvi path + draftmode on early passes + -interaction=batchmode. New fastest at 2.23 s: 20% faster than the naive baseline, 40% faster than latexmk.

TL;DR rankings

Winner	Category
max_combo	Raw build speed (2.23 s)
latexrun	Cleanest stdout
latexrun + ramdisk + precompiled preamble	Overall (Eurovision scoring)

https://blog.martisak.se/latex-build-systems-comparison/

#LaTeX #AcademicWriting #ResearchTools #ReproducibleResearch